Outside Suzhou City, listening to the sound of oars

  Yu Guozhen applauded lightly: "Sounds great, sings really well."

  Liu Ruyi lowered her head: "Young Master Yu has overpraised me, I only sang so-so..."

  Yu Guozhen smiled: "You're too humble, humility to the extreme is just pride, your voice is great, with strong penetration power, whether it's low or high pitch, you can control it freely, when practicing singing at first, you must have worked very hard."

  Liu Ruo was somewhat surprised, because before Yu Guozhen spoke, he still had some literary quality, but now his speech had become a bit strange, and the descriptive words like "penetrating power" were something she heard for the first time. However, she could guess that Master Yu was praising her voice as very good.

  "In front of Mr. Xi Ming, I couldn't help but learn from him when speaking, actually I don't have any literary talent myself, why do I need to learn how to speak like a scholar?" Yu Guozhen smiled slightly and said: "Just like the song you sang just now, that's Yuefu, it's said to be adapted from folk music, I think this sounds much better than those humming and hawing over there."

  Liu Ruyi was stunned.

  She encouraged Yu Guo to study hard with a poem, but Yu Guo's response made her wonder if he had understood or not.

  "Your voice is really good, clear and bright... I have a song here that I've heard others sing before, do you want to learn it?"

  Yu Guozhen's next words made Liu Ruzi even more shocked. Yu Guozhen didn't wait for her response and started humming softly.

  He was in his breaking voice period and his tone was a bit unpleasant to listen to, so Liu Ruo Is initially had some disdain in her heart, thinking that this song was sung a bit strangely.

  But soon she began to wonder, first in wonder, then in dismay, and finally in delight.

  "What... what's this song, what's its name?" she asked eagerly after Yu Guo Zhen finished singing.

  "The song is called 'Let's Row the Oars Together'." Yu Guozhen stood at the bow of the boat, with the evening breeze blowing into his chest, carrying the coolness of the water's surface. Under the moonlight, he gazed at the inverted reflection of the powder walls and weeping willows, as well as the reflections of the lights from thousands of homes in between. He took a deep breath, feeling extremely comfortable in his heart.

  This song, in the era he came from, few people wouldn't know how to sing it. Yu Guozhen glanced at Liu Ruyu, who was only 14 years old, with a clear and bright voice, still carrying a hint of childishness, exactly the right age for singing this song.

  Upon hearing the song title, Liu Ruo was stunned. Indeed, just as Yu Guozhen had said, such a name truly lacked any literary flair. But upon careful consideration, there really wasn't a more suitable name than this one.

  Liu Ru was skilled in music, and after silently repeating it twice in her mind, she asked Yu Guozhen for advice on the parts that she couldn't grasp firmly. Then she began to sing.

  The familiar melody echoed over the canal, Liu Ruo Xi sang extremely well, her voice had a strong penetrating power. As he listened, Yu Guo Zhen suddenly felt a warmth in his eyes.

  After singing twice, Liu Ruo stopped and looked at Yu Guozhen: "Ruo thanks Master Yu for teaching me the song!"

  She had originally intended to inspire Yu Guozhen with a ci poem, but it was Yu Guozhen who was moved by one of her simple and easy-to-understand songs.

  "No need to thank me, I should be thanking you for being able to hear you sing this song." Yu Guozhen picked up his emotions, past things are in the past, he can't go back to his original time and space, what he needs to do is grasp the present.

  "Such a tune, unprecedented... Although simple, it can't be said to be common... Grand and elegant, isn't this what it means? Like Xin Qiji's poem 'Cup in front of you', it's the same, using vernacular language in poetry... But this is not poetry..."

  Liu Ruyi's heart was still tangled with a hundred knots, and she couldn't help but ask again after a while: "Was this song written by Yu Gongzi?"

  Yu Guozhen said with a smile: "I have no literary talent at all, I just occasionally heard people sing."

  "Nowadays, many famous musicians have heard of this song, but it doesn't fit their style at all. Whether it's the lyrics or the melody, I think it has a unique charm...” Liu Ruyi looked at Yu Guozhen with hopeful eyes, expecting him to nod in agreement.

  "I'm a bit tired, I'll take a rest first." Yu Guozhen laughed and said: "Tomorrow we will stay in Suzhou for a day, let's take a good stroll around this famous city!"

  He finished speaking and returned to the cabin, looking at his back, Liu Ruo Is lightly pursed her lips.

  Your eyesight isn't very good, is it? This Mr. Yu is indeed as Mr. Zhang said, with great talent in his heart, but he doesn't show it off to people easily! Although he wouldn't admit it, that tune just now must have been something he composed himself; didn't he say before that he dislikes the pretentious way scholars speak...

  "Why doesn't Master Yu want to show off his talents in front of people?" Thinking of this, Liu Ruo Si's heart raised a question, and she became more and more curious about Yu Guo Zhen.

  The next morning, Liu Rusi woke up dazedly and heard the faint sound of running water. She was a bit dizzy, then realized she was on a boat.

  After getting up and washing, Liu Ruo Si originally wanted to flip through the poetry collection she carried with her, but as soon as she thought of poetry, she remembered the little tune Yu Guo Zhen taught her last night. She hesitated for a moment, then came to Yu Guo Zhen's cabin and knocked gently on the door: "Young Master Yu, Young Master Yu?"

  "Oh, does Miss have something on her mind?"

  "Will you come and serve the young master by washing and dressing him?" asked Liu Ruosi tentatively.

  Yu Guozhen smiled silently in the cabin, he was also served by Xiaolian at home, so he didn't refuse to be served by others: "Then thank you, Miss Ruisi."

  He was so calm and composed that Liu Ruo was stunned. This Master Yu may not be a famous scholar in poetry, but he has the demeanor of a great scholar from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which is really different from the young talents she imagined to be bold and passionate!

  Liu Ruzi was much better at serving people than Xiaolian, and Yu Guozhen's hair, which he couldn't even comb properly, became obedient like a little girl in her hands. After finishing this task, Liu Ruzi admired the results of her labor for a while, exchanged glances with Yu Guozhen, and her face involuntarily turned slightly red.

  She averted her gaze, and then saw a stack of papers on the edge of the bed board. The papers were covered with dense and small characters, written in iron brushwork and silver hook style. Although it was not a masterpiece by any famous artist, it was still a work that had been done with some effort.

  "Just watch if you want to." said Yu Guozhen.

  Liu Ruzi picked up the paper and found that it was all written in plain language, talking about things like sweet potato cultivation and cotton planting. Liu Ruzi was somewhat disappointed, as she had originally thought this was Yu Guozhen's manuscript, but unexpectedly it was this instead.

  "What's wrong, finding these things uninteresting?" Yu Guozhen burst out laughing.

  "He merely thought that with your exceptional talent, you should focus more on the way of sages and virtuous scholars... even poetry and literature are trivial pursuits compared to the way of sages."

  "Is that what you think?" Yu Guozhen knew she was influenced by various experiences in the world, and after a moment of contemplation, said: "Do you remember that song from yesterday?"

  Liu Ruyi certainly remembered that if it weren't for the tune, Liu Ruyi thought the young man in front of him was just an ignorant and unsophisticated person. But precisely because he learned to appreciate the tune yesterday, he felt that Yu Guozhen seemed to possess both elegance and vulgarity, so he came to serve Yu Guozhen by washing his hair.

  She is a proud and arrogant girl, although her fate has been tortuous, she has never given up on her pursuit.

  "Which sentence did the young master say?"

  "Who gave us the seeds of a happy life." Yu Guozhen slightly modified the lyrics, pointing to the paper: "It's these, giving us the seeds of a happy life, allowing us to feast our eyes on the majesty of China's mountains and rivers, allowing us to express our feelings through song and poetry."

  Liu Ruzuo thought for a moment, and suddenly a look of admiration appeared on his face: "When Emperor Jing of Han said that gold and jade are not edible when hungry and cannot be worn when cold, Yu Gongzi was right. What is written on this paper is about farming, but it is related to the foundation of the world. I am shallow and narrow-minded, and I did not think of this."

  She was truly and sincerely convinced, but at the same time also felt a faint sense of loss, always feeling that this was somewhat different from her own inner thoughts.

  Yu Guozhen was about to speak, when Gao Erzhu rubbed his eyes and walked in. Although the Sanmingwa boat wasn't small, Yu Guozhen occupied one cabin, Liu Ruozi occupied another, so Gao Erzhu had no choice but to squeeze in with the boatman. Seeing Liu Ruozi here, he was slightly stunned, and immediately wanted to leave, but was stopped by Yu Guozhen.

  "Alright, let's get going. We'll head to the guest house to find Third and Fourth Brother. This time, Sheng Ze had a smooth trip, they don't need to stay in Suzhou any longer."

  "Guo An and Guo Ning, the two young masters, are reluctant to leave. They want to stay here for a few more days." Gao Erzhu was somewhat excited.

  "It's up to you if you want to stay here for a while, don't worry, there will be plenty of excitement later, but for now let's focus on the serious stuff."

  In Suzhou City, apart from finding Yu Guoan and Yu Guoning, we also need to rent or buy another boat. The current boat is already a bit crowded, and once Gao Danping, Yu Guoan, and Yu Guoning board the boat, it will be even more crowded.

  After stepping onto the shore, Yu Guo Zhen turned his head and saw Liu Ru Yi's eyes gazing in this direction. He smiled slightly and said: "Miss Ruyi, why don't you come up and take a walk too?"

  "Ah...... Ah!" Liu Ruo Xi was delighted in her heart and immediately ran towards the shipboard. No matter how she pretended to be mature, she was only a 14-year-old girl after all. Hearing that they were going to Suzhou, such a famous city, where wouldn't she be happy?

  Because of the excitement, she forgot all the things that a gentle lady should follow, and when she stepped ashore, her feet slipped again. If Yu Guozhen hadn't stretched out his hand to pull her arm, she might have fallen into the canal.

  "Ah..."

  Seeing her slender little feet exposed under her skirt, Yu Guozhen couldn't help but frown.

  Liu Ruyi was very sensitive, her face slightly red, and she quickly pulled her feet back under her skirt. She found it strange that other men who saw her feet would reveal an expression of wanting to grasp them in their palms immediately, but this Yu Gongzi was different, seeming to show some disgust instead.

  Is it because I didn't wrap my feet well?

  Yu Guozhen merely furrowed his brow, and the matter of foot binding was not something to be blamed on Liu Ruzi herself. In this tumultuous era, she was just a weak and small woman. In the original history, she used her own two small feet to measure the grandeur of the men of China, but unfortunately, what she saw were not truly men of China.

  But as Han Fei said, one of the five pests is the moth.

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